Little Falls, NJ - Senior Brian Hickey (Middletown, NJ/Middletown South) drove in two in the opener and Montclair State sophomore BRIAN BUTLER (Wyckoff, NJ/Ramapo Regional) drove in three in the nightcap as The College of New Jersey and Red Hawks split a New Jersey Athletic Conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Yogi Berra Stadium.

TCNJ won the opener 9-6 while MSU took the nightcap 11-8. Montclair State is now 14-8 overall, 7-2 in the NJAC while TCNJ is 15-7, 4-3 in conference play. The Lions broke the game open early in the second inning in game one.

Former high school teammates Jon Mizglewski (Point Monmouth, NJ/Middletown North) and Chris Schoonhoven (Middletown, NJ/Middletown North) led off the inning with back-to-back singles. After a successful sacrifice moved both runners, Justin Gorski (Flemington, NJ/Hunterdon Central) grounded into a fielder's choice to bring across TCNJ's first run. Later in the inning, Hickey and Pat Zegarski (Hamilton, NJ/Hamilton West) both provided two-out RBI singles for a 4-0 advantage.

The Red Hawks mounted a late ninth-inning rally scoring three runs for the final 9-6 score. Butler provided the spark with a two-out, two-run homer, his second of the season.

Mark Sanborn (Brookside, NJ/West Morris) earned his third win of the season. Sanborn (3-1) allowed three runs on eight hits in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out eight and walked five. JEFF GOGAL (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) suffered his first conference loss of the year. Gogal (3-2) allowed eight runs (six earned) on ten hits. He also struck out six and walked two in 5 2/3 innings.

In the nightcap the Red Hawks benefited from three of the game's five triples. MSU rallied early in the bottom of the second erasing a 5-2 deficit with four runs. Junior ROB BLACKBURN (Sussex, NJ/Vernon) led off the inning with a solo shot, his team leading third of the season, and sophomore BRETT PICARO (Westfield, NJ/Westfield) laced a two RBI triple to tie the game at 5-5. PJ Baccarella (Bayonne, NJ/Bayonne) drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly to cap off the inning.

The Red Hawks tacked on three insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth. Junior TOMMY WARTH (Secaucus, NJ/Secaucus) provided what would turn out to be a key, two-out, two-RBI single to give MSU an 11-6 advantage.
TCNJ would rally in their last at-bat sending five batters to the plate all with two outs. After back-to-back singles, Hickey drew a bases loaded walk for the Lions to force a Montclair pitching change. Reliever BILLY CHRISTOPHER (Ridgewood, NJ/Ridgewood) would then walk in the next run for the Lions before getting catcher Gerard Haran (Matawan, NJ/Old Bridge) to fly out to foul rightfield to end the game. Christopher earned his fourth save of the season.

Freshman JAIRO MENDEZ (Kearny, NJ/Kearny) earned his team leading fifth win of the year. Mendez (5-0) tossed seven plus innings allowing six runs (four earned) and eight hits. He also fanned four and walked just one. Vincent Petrillo (Montville, NJ/Montville) suffered the loss for the Lions. Petrillo (3-2) allowed six runs in one inning.

Butler finished 6-for-9 with five RBI including a triple and a two run homerun for MSU. Zegarksi collected five hits and four RBI for the Lions.

Montclair returns to action, Sunday, April 18th with a rescheduled non-conference game against DeSales University at 2:00pm at Yogi Berra Stadium.